Door lock



Oct. 5, 1948.

w. R. SCHLAGE "2,450,449

. DOOR LOCK Filed NOV. 21, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 5, 1948 DOOR LOCK Walter R. Schlage, Burlingame, Calif; Anna Schlage, executrix of said Walter R. Schlage, deceased, assignor to Schlage Lock Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 21, 1945, Serial No. 629,955

6 Claims.

This invention relates to door locks of the type disclosed in my former Patent Number 2,302,380, and especially to improvements thereon.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction of door locks of the type specified, and especially to improve the construction of the spindle housing and the escutcheon plates secured thereto.

The improvements forming the subject matter of the present application are shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a door lock installed in a door, said view being partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one of the escutcheon plates showing it in position to be applied;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the knobs showing it in position to be applied to the spindle of the door lock;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the outer door knob, one of the escutcheon plates, the spindle housing and the spindle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the escutcheon plates shown in Figs. 1 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a side view in section taken on lines VI-VI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the latch bolt and the connected retractor late;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a modified form of the escutcheon plate; and I Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the escutcheon plate shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly Fig. 1, A indicates a door in which are drilled or otherwise formed, two holes indicated at 2 and 3. The hole 2 is drilled crosswise of the door through the opposite faces 4 and 5, while the hole 3 is drilled at right angles thereto or through the edge 6 of the door. A housing B which is rectangular in cross section as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 is inserted endwise in the hole 3, and will hereinafter be referred to as the latch holt housing as it contains a latch bolt "I, a retractor plate 8, and a spring 9 which normally maintains the latch bolt in projected position. The latch bolt housing, together with the latch bolt, the retractor plate and the spring 9, will hereinafter be referred to as the latch bolt unit. The lock mechanism as a whole also contains a second unit which will hereinafter be referred to as the latch bolt actuating unit. This unit, broadly stated, consists of a tubular spindle housing indicated at C through which extends a spindle I 0 on the opposite ends of which are suitably secured knobs II and I2.

The improvements forming the subject matter of the present application reside in the construction of the spindle housing C which supports and functions as a bearing for the spindle Ill and the invention also relates to the construction of the escutcheon plates, generally indicated at D, said escutcheon plates bein provided for the purpose of securing the spindle housing against removal and also that of covering the holes 2 and forming an ornamental finish on the opposite faces of the door.

The spindle l9 besides serving the function of supporting the knobs I l and 12 also serves the function of retracting the retractor plate 8 and the latch bolt 1 carried thereby, an ordinary rollback member being provided on the spindle to engage the rear end 8a of the retractor plate. The detailed construction of the spindle and the retractor plate forms no part of the present invention as they are fully disclosed in my former patent, heretofore referred to. It may, however, be stated that the retractor plate 8 has an elongated opening 8b formed therein. This opening is important as it permits depression of the latch bolt, for instance when closing a, door, without imparting rotational movement to the spindle and the knobs, and furthermore, it permits insertion of the spindle housing C, as will hereinafter be described.

The spindle housing C is formed by die operation from the fiat sheet material, for instance of cold rolled steel. It is rolled into tubular form and the opposite edges of the sheet are brought together. Sufficient space, however, is provided to permit slight contraction of the spin d le housing as a whole and it may accordingly be said that the spindle housing is of tubular form and is provided with a slit or slot 25 which extends from end to end. The spindle housing is also provided with a pair of raised surfaces I4-l4. These surfaces extend from end to end of the spindle and they serve two functions; first that of a key which interlocks with the side walls It of the latch bolt housing to prevent rotation of the spindle housing, and second, they serve the function of carrying screw threads I! at opposite ends to receive and secure the escutcheon plates D.

When a lock of this character is to be installed in a door, the latch bolt housing is first inserted in the hole 3 to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, The spindle housing C, together with the es cutcheon plate D, the knob I I and the spindle Ill,

assembled as in Fig: 4, are then inserted from the exterior surface of the door through the holes 2.

However, in order to permit such insertion two holes must also be formed in the side walls 16 of the latch bolt housing, and these holes must be provided with keyways to receive the raised portions M of the spindle housing. Also, it is essential that the latch bolt be depressed so that the spindle in and the spindle housing may pass through the elongated opening 81) formed in the retractor plate, thus when the spindle H! and the spindle housing are inserted from the exterior surface of the door, the spindle l and the spindle housing C will first pass through the opening 2, then through one opening in the side wall It of the latch bolt housing, then through the slot 81) in the retractor plate, and finally through the opposite opening in the side wall l6 of the latch bolt housing and the inner opening 2 and will thus assume the position shown in Fig. 1. The inner escutcheon plate D shown in Figs. 2 and 5 may now be applied and so may the inner knob l2 and this completes the installation of the lock. When the assembled unit shown in Fig. 4 is inserted, it should be noted that there is a lug i8 which is formed on the raised portion Id of the spindle housing. This lug engages the outer side wall l6 of the latch bolt housing and stops further inward movement, this being important as the outer escutcheon plate D may at that time be only partially applied or screwed on to the outer end of the spindle housing. This stop lug I8 is of further importance as it aligns cross-slots formed in the spindle ID and in the spindle housing as indicated at l9, these slots being neces sary for the operation of the retractor plate and the rollback member on the spindle which cooperates therewith.

The escutcheon plates indicated at D are identical in construction, hence the description of one should sufiice. By referring to Figs, 2 and 5, it will be noted that the escutcheon plate proper is shown in the form of a flange as indicated at 20 and that there are two hub extensions on the flange, one at 21 and one at 22. The interior of the hub 22 has a screw thread formed therein, while the interior surface of the hub 2| is finished and plain. When the escutcheon plate shown in Fig, 2 is slipped over the end of the spindle l0, the hub 2! will pass over screw threads H formed on the raised portions M of the spindle housing. In fact, the interior diameter of the hub 2! is such that it will provide a substantially snug fit between the threads ll and the interior surface. This is desirable as the hub 2| will thus function to properly align the threads within the hub 22 with the threads H and prevent crossthreading when the escutcheon plate as a whole is screwed over the end of the spindle housing. It should also be pointed out that due to the slot or slit 25 formed in the spindle housing which extends from endto end thereof, that there will be a slight yielding or contractible action 'when the escutcheon plate is screwed over the threads [1. This is also important as sufiicient force is thereby exerted to maintain a considerable frictional contact between the threads I! and the interior threads of the escutcheon plate, such friction being suflicient to maintain the escutcheon plate against accidental removal.

Inasmuch as there are only two raised portions on the spindle, and these portions extend from end to end and are threaded at opposite ends as at I'i, it may be said that the threads on each end extend longitudinally of the spindle but that they are spaced apart or interrupted circumferentially. Inasmuch as this is the case, a modified form of escutcheon plate may be employed as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In this case the interior threads indicated at 221) are interrupted oircumferentially thereby permitting the escutcheon plate to be slipped over the spindle l0 and the end of the spindle housing 0 until the flange 20 engages the face of the door. Then by merely rotating the escutcheon plate a partial revolution, the threads I! and 221) will engage and secure the escutcheon plate against removal.

In Fig. 1 an anchor member is indicated at 30. This anchor member engages slots 3| formed in the spindle housing but as the anchor member forms no part of the present invention and is fully described and disclosed in my former patent, heretofore referred to, further description is thought unnecessary. The structure of the spindle housing and the escutcheon plates carried thereby materially simplifies the structure and assembly of the lock as a whole, and no fastening means will be required to secure the escutcheon plates in place as they are frictionally secured by the yielding or spring action of the spindle housing,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a door lock having a tubular spindle housing extending therethrough and said spindle housing having a length sufficient to extend beyond opposite faces of a door in which a lock is mounted, a plurality of raised surfaces formed on the exterior surface of the spindle housing and extending from end to end thereof, said raised surfaces being spaced apart circumferentially and said raised surfaces being threaded at each end of the spindle housing, a pair of escutcheon plates each having a hub threaded to permit the escutcheon plates to be screwed on the respective ends of the spindle housing, and an extension on each hub to guide the threaded portion of each hub into position to align and engage the threaded ends of the spindle housing.

2. In a door lock having a tubular spindle housing extending therethrough and said spindle housing having a length sufficient to extend beyond opposite faces of a door in which a lock is mounted, a plurality of raised surfaces formed on the exterior surface of the spindle housing and extending from. end to end thereof, said raised surfaces being spaced apart circumferentially and said raised surfaces being threaded at each end of the spindle housing, a pair of escutcheon plates each having a hub threaded to permit the escutcheon plates to be screwed on the respective ends of the spindle housing, said spindle housing being split from end to end to render it circumferentially contractible when the escutcheon plates are screwed over the ends thereby to frictionally secure the escutcheon plates against removal.

3. In a lock of the character described, a tubular spindle housing split from end to end to render it circumferential'iy contractible, a plurality of raised surfaces formed on the exterior of the housing and extending from end to end thereof, said raised surfaces being spaced apart circumferentially, and screw threads formed on the raised surfaces at each end of the housing.

4. In a lock of the character described, a tubular spindle housing split from end to end to render it circumferentially contractible, a plurality of raised surfaces formed on the exterior of the housing and extending from end to end thereof, said raised surfaces being spaced apart circumferentially, screw threads formed on the raised surfaces at each end of the housing, and an escutcheon plate having an interiorly threaded hub to permit it to be screwed on one end of the spindle housing, said hub when applied causing sufficient circumferential contraction of the spindle housing to maintain tight engagement between the engaging screw threads.

5. In a lock of the character described, a tubular spindle housing split from end to end to render it circumferentially contractible, a plurality of raised surfaces formed on the exterior of the housing and extending from end to end thereof, said raised surfaces being spaced apart circumferentially, screw threads formed on the raised surfaces at each end of the housing, an escutcheon plate having an interiorly threaded hub to permit it to be screwed on one end of the spindle housing, said hub when applied causing sufficient circumferential contraction of the spindle housing to maintain tight engagement between theengaging screw threads, and means on the escutcheon plate to guide the threaded portion of the hub into position to align and engage with the threads on the spindle housing when applying the escutcheon plate.

6. In a door lock having a tubular spindle housing extending therethrough and said spindle housing having a length sufficient to extend beyond opposite faces of a door in which a lock is mounted, a plurality of raised surfaces formed on the exterior surface of the spindle housing and extending. from end to end thereof, said raised surfaces being spaced apart circumferentially and said raised surfaces being threaded at each end of the spindle housing, a pair of escutcheon plates each having a hub portion, and a flange portion and each escutcheon plate being internally threaded, said internal thread having a plurality of slots extending lengthwise and corresponding to the width of the raised surfaces formed on the exterior surface of the spindle housing to permit the escutcheon plates to be slid on to the respective ends of the spindle housing and then partially rotated to engage the threads in the escutcheon plates with the threads on the spindle housing.

WALTER R. SCHLAGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Schlage Nov. 17, 1942 

